Map of the Salish Sea and Strait of Georgia, showing various locations including North Vancouver, Richmond, and surrounding areas.
By Published On: August 21, 2019

According to DFO announcements: (FN820), (FN821), and (FN819), all salmon fishing is suspended further past the previously announced August 23, 2019 date until “further notice” on the lower Fraser River. This includes Mission Bridge to Alexandra Bridge (Region 2), tidal waters of the Fraser River (downstream of the VPR Bridge at Mission, BC to the mouth of the river), as well as subareas 29-6, 29-7, 29-9 and 29-10.

According to the DFO all three notices say, “These management measures are being implemented given extremely poor returns of Fraser sockeye and extremely limited sockeye impacts available and to provide for priority access to chinook for First Nations food, social and ceremonial harvest opportunities. Overall returns of Chinook salmon returning to the Fraser river have also been very poor to date.”

Also, if you missed the announcement (FN0813), Pitt River and all tributaries are also closed for salmon fishing as of one hour after sunset August 19, 2019.

For this announcement, the DFO is quoted as saying, “Current run size estimates of Fraser River sockeye salmon have resulted in no allowable harvest and a conservation concern. The Department’s priorities are to ensure that there is sufficient Sockeye returning to the spawning grounds and therefore must consider all impacts on Fraser Sockeye stocks. The Department will manage all fisheries to minimize sockeye impacts and provide priority access to First Nations’ fishing for food, social and ceremonial purposes.

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